


Gotham's Protector

by sophene



Series: Gotham's Protector Universe [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), Catwoman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Bruce Wayne isn't Batman, Gen, Selina Kyle is a Vigilante, batcat vibes kinda but not particularly shippy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28513788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophene/pseuds/sophene
Summary: AU fic where Bruce never became Batman because he adopted Dick way earlier than in the comics. Selina Kyle is Gotham's hero instead.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle & Bruce Wayne
Series: Gotham's Protector Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095662
Comments: 6
Kudos: 176





	Gotham's Protector

“Dad.”

Bruce felt something poking him in the back and groaned. The poking continued, as did the voice.

“Dad. Dad.”

Groaning again, Bruce turned over and opened his eyes. His bedroom was still dark, but his curtains were wide open, letting in the pale glow of moonlight. It was enough light to be able to see Dick standing at the side of his bed, looking pink-cheeked and apprehensive in his flannel pajamas.

Bruce sat up and said, “Dick? What is it?”

“I heard someone,” Dick said. He was speaking softly, almost whispering.

“Someone?”

“There’s someone in your study,” he said, pointing in the direction of the study.

Bruce wasn’t sure what to make of this. Dick had never been a particularly skittish child, and the Manor had a state of the art security system. It was highly unlikely that anyone had gotten around it. Unless…

Bruce dismissed the thought as soon as it had come to him. She’d never bothered Bruce before, not even in the early days when she was first making a name for herself. He couldn’t imagine what she’d want with him now.

“Will you come look?” Dick asked.

Bruce let out an inaudible sigh and climbed out of bed, slipping his feet into his slippers before he stood up. He pulled on his bathrobe as he started to make his way across the room, and only noticed when he made it to the door that Dick was following him.

“Maybe you should stay here,” Bruce said, but Dick just plastered himself to Bruce’s leg, not letting go until Bruce’s only option was to pick him up and take him with him down the hall.

The hallway was as dark as Bruce’s bedroom. Bruce looked for signs that someone could be in the study as they approached it, but the door was shut, and no light was coming out from under it. He didn’t hear anything either, but didn’t bother saying so to a child. He just went over to the door and turned the doorknob. It opened on silent hinges. He stepped inside and turned on the light.

There was a person standing by the window.

Dick let out a shout of alarm and Bruce turned without thinking so that his body was a shield between Dick and the person behind the desk. In the same moment, her hand went to the coiled whip attached to her hip.

They both froze, staring at each other, though Bruce couldn’t see her eyes due to the goggles. She didn’t brandish the weapon, but her hand didn’t move either. He risked a glance down and saw that there were papers spread out all over his desk, and a flashlight in her other hand. She’d been going through this things.

“Well,” Bruce said. Dick was straining in his arms, trying to see Catwoman over his shoulder.

“Mr. Wayne,” she said.

“This is unexpected,” Bruce said, his tone polite as if she’d knocked on the door, not broken in.

Catwoman cocked her head, considering him. She said, “I’m not here to rob you.” 

Dick was still squirming. Bruce bounced him a little, trying to get him to calm down.

“Then what are you doing here, if you don’t mind me asking? And maybe you could tell me how you got around the alarm.”

She smiled. It was a small smile, barely a quirk of her dark lips.

“You may have copies of some blueprints I need. I came to look for them.”

“Blueprints for what?” he asked, frowning.

“Memorial Bridge,” she said.

“Oh, yes,” Bruce said, nodding. “The Wayne family financed it, and my great-great uncle designed it. But the city should also have copies of the blueprints.”

“They used to. Riddler stole them last week.”

Bruce nodded, understanding the problem. If the Riddler had the blueprints for the bridge, then it didn’t bode well for the city.

“Perhaps I can assist you,” Bruce said.

Catwoman didn’t move at all, and although she didn’t say anything, somehow Bruce picked up on her wariness anyway.

“If you’re not actually here to steal from me then I have no intention of calling the police. As far as I’m concerned, the worst thing you’ve done tonight is wake up my son. It’ll go faster if I tell you where the blueprints are. Besides, even if I wanted to call the police, I can’t. I left my phone back in my bedroom,” he said.

There was another long moment while Catwoman considered his words, but she finally dropped the hand next to her whip and nodded.

Bruce walked over to the couch next to the fireplace and set Dick down. Dick didn’t resist, but instead turned around and stared over the back of the couch at Catwoman, his blue eyes wide. Bruce went to fetch the blueprints.

“Careful with these,” he said, bringing them back over to his desk and setting them down. “They’re the original copies that were hand drawn by my great-great uncle.”

Catwoman nodded and started to remove them from the storage tubes. It helped, Bruce realized, that she was a thief. She was used to handling things much more delicate and priceless than some old blueprints.

She took pictures of them with her phone rather than taking them with her. The whole time she didn’t speak, or really seem to notice Bruce at all. Dick finally succumbed to the late hour and fell back asleep, slumped up against the back couch cushion. There was nothing else for Bruce to do but observe. Catwoman’s suit wasn’t the silly spandex kind that Bruce was used to seeing other superhero types in other cities wearing. Her suit was armor, her boots made for running and fighting. He couldn’t help but feel a little in awe of her.

She was also beautiful. He’d known this already because he’d seen pictures of her before. As usual, photographs were a poor substitute for reality.

Too soon, she was rolling up the blueprints again and putting them back into the tubes. She turned and handed them to him.

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne,” she said.

“No problem,” he said, and went to put them away. He expected her to be gone by the time he turned around again.

Instead, he turned to see that she was staring at him.

“Do you need something else?” he asked.

Her attention shifted from Bruce, then to Dick, who was still fast asleep on the couch. Then she looked back to Bruce again.

“You’ve managed to keep your company untangled from the mob,” she said. “Hard to do, in this city.”

Bruce shrugged. “I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for that. I’m blessed to be surrounded by friends much more intelligent than I am, and my colleague Lucius Fox is very good at keeping Wayne Enterprises from getting mixed up with organized crime.”

Catwoman hummed contemplatively.

“For the record, if there is something that I or my company can do to help you or your…associates in the future, you’re more than welcome to ask. No need to break in in the middle of the night,” he said.

Catwoman’s expression did not change. There was a weighted silence, and she at last said, “I’ll keep it in mind.”

It seemed to be the end of the discussion, so Bruce went over to the couch to fetch Dick. He saw the shadow of her moving behind him, but didn’t hear her. When he picked up Dick and turned with him in his arms, Bruce was unsurprised to see that she’d gone, having escaped through a window without a sound.

Dick blinked and groggily looked around the study, searching for her.

“Is she gone?” he asked.

“Yes, she’s gone.”

“Will she come back?” Dick asked.

“I’m not sure,” Bruce said, and didn’t add, _but I hope so_. He took Dick back to bed.

**Author's Note:**

> I like to imagine that Joker doesn't exist in this universe because Batman never existed so he was never inspired to create his Joker persona. Also the "associates" Bruce mentions are definitely Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Killer Croc, because I wanted to make all my favorite Batman rogues the good guys and no one can stop me ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
